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Conversion Tips & Testing Ideas

No more excuses about not knowing what to test. This whitepaper contains a comprehensive list of 99 ;ps and tes;ng ideas designed to make your conversion rate skyrocket.

 Introduc*on
As more and more consumers shop online and rely on Web-based transac;ons to manage their busy lives, it is impera;ve that websites do a beBer job of servicing their users and helping them nd what they are looking for as quickly and easily as possible. For website operators, this means that their conversion rate is one of the main determinants of their sites success. Since online consumers don't have the ability to try out a product, interact with the sta or get to know a store's reputa;on over ;me, the site's content, design and user interface must work coherently to successfully guide a visitor from click to conversion. The following whitepaper contains 99 ;ps you can test and apply to make your site more appealing to visitors, more ecient to consumers and, ul;mately, more protable for yourself.

Support
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Customer service has long been important for successful business oine. This certainly holds true for the online world as well. Depending on your site, customer service may very well be one of the rst things a visitor no;ces about your site and it's a good way to immediately start building trust and pave the way to more transac;ons.

1. Toll-free Numbers: Websites should have a responsive and professional support system. A toll-free phone number displayed prominently on a business website helps boost user condence and makes the site feel more trustworthy. It is also a great way for consumers to contact your business to quickly address any ques;ons they may have, or roadblocks to conversion. 2. Mul/ple Support Op/ons: It is important to have as many support op;ons as your business can aord. Email, fax, phone and live chat are all op;ons that can help your customers reach you in a way that is most convenient for them. 3. Support Team: If you intend to have a support team, make sure that the team is trained to not only understand the products or services you are selling, but the en;re online experience a poten;al customer goes through on your site. 4. Contact your Customers: Use teleconferences, webinars, direct mail and phone calls to help increase conversions. Using mul;ple contact methods and touch points instead of just your website and email can help to improve your conversion rates. 5. Live Support: If your product is expensive or complex enough to warrant live support, let your visitors interact with your sta via a simple click-to-call or chat.

6. Hours: Let people know what hours customer service or support are available, whether its within business hours or 24/7. Regardless of what it is, make sure this informa;on is displayed close to where a visitor might feel the need to contact you.

Security
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Security is a cri;cal issue for most customers considering an online purchase. Despite the fact that people seem to be more condent entering their credit card informa;on online than, lets say 5 years ago, if your website cannot make a visitor trust you and feel comfortable doing business with you, they will never feel condent enough to reveal any personal or nancial informa;on required to complete a transac;on.

7. Trust Seals: Boos;ng customer condence is the key to sales in any online business. Personal informa;on pertaining to email addresses, credit cards, debit cards or any nancial accounts needs to be protected. You should have your website cer;ed for security by third-party organiza;ons like VeriSign and then prominently display their cer;ca;on seals so your visitors know their informa;on is safe.

8. Use your Creden/als: The more you can do to make your customers comfortable, the more likely they are to convert on your site. Obtain and display safe-shopping logos such as McAfee and BeBer Business Bureau to get the best conversion rates.

9. SSL: Electronic data security is of paramount concern in a site visitors mind. To increase conversions, assure your visitors of the security precau;ons you have in place on your website. Gebng your business website secured by SSL technology or 128 bit encryp;on (which is what Banks use) will help put to rest any concerns about data security. Display this informa;on prominently throughout your website.

10. HTTPS: Display lock icons in the browser to let your site visitors are entering a secure connec;on zone.

11. Physical Address: Many websites neglect to display their physical addresses or phone number. On such sites, even if they have a fair amount of trac, there are very few conversions because their visitors do not trust them. Displaying a physical address has been shown to boosts visitor condence and leads to more conversions.

12. Include Point of Ac/on Assurances: Always make sure that each aspect of your informa;on requirement is complete and reassuring. For example, if you are reques;ng that a visitor provide you with an email address, clearly state that their privacy is important to you and you will not sell or share their informa;on.

13. Locks & Icons: Test adding trust and security icons such as locks to reassure your visitors and let them know that they are browsing and comple;ng a transac;on in a secure area.

Reviews & Testimonials

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Tes;monials do the same job for a website as word-of-mouth does for a tradi;onal oine business. Good endorsements can help build trust and condence and should be displayed prominently on your site. A study by Foresee Results revealed that reviews drive 21 percent greater purchase sa;sfac;on and 18 percent greater loyalty, making this is especially important for ecommerce and retail websites.

14. Icons: Stars are typically the most common ra;ng icons, but that doesnt mean you cant

personalize them to t your brand. Bloomingdale's, for example, use purple hearts instead of yellow stars for product ra;ngs. Test dierent ra;ng icons to nd out what suits your brand and resonates with your customers and poten;al buyers.

15. Formats: Check if your review plagorm allows for formats other than text and encourage

buyers to upload pictures and images of themselves.

16. Dimensions: Your customers arent copywriters and not all shoppers will take the ;me to

read lengthy reviews. Create dierent ra;ng dimensions for your products and this way you can ensure that reviews are tackling the most important aspects of your product, reviewers have the op;on to click, write, or do both, and readers can get a visual at-a- glance snapshot of the review.

17. Expert Reviews: Gebng a review from an expert of celebrity is great but, believe it or not,

its s;ll something you need to test. According to a study by Bizrate.com, 59 percent of users considered customer reviews to be more valuable than expert reviews. Based on that, you should either test having an expert review, or show that you have a mix of regular and expert ones.

18. References: Tes;monials can include references from previous clients, reviews from

sa;sed customers or even ra;ngs for your products and services. When possible, include the contact informa;on of the person leaving the tes;monial, so your visitors will know they are legi;mate. Make sure that these tes;monials are authen;c and use real photographs to help tell the story. Do not use any informa;on without permission and never use stock photographs.

19. Cer/ca/on: Consider gebng cer;ca;on for your products. These ocial endorsements,

ojen provided by industry regulators, can signicantly improve sales and conversion rates.

Navigation
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The easier it is for your customers to navigate your website, the more conversions you will have. Consumers do not want to have to hunt for what they need and they will ojen abandon a transac;on before it is complete if it is too dicult to nd what they are looking for. Dont make them think and dont make them search.

20. Breadcrumb Trails: Implemen;ng breadcrumb trails is a great way to let users know where exactly they are on your site, and for them to navigate back and forth easily without having to use the back buBon. Its also creates a visual ow of your content or process and helps them understand where they are and how they got there.

21. Scrolling: Make sure your site is easy to navigate through and does not require excessive horizontal or ver;cal scrolling. All per;nent informa;on should appear.

22. Buy Now: The Buy Now buBon should be prominent and consistent across the website on all product pages. In fact, it should be closer to the top of the pages. In the oine world, we say, "Eye level is the buy level" and in the online world, we say, "If you want it sold, put it above the fold."

23. About Us: Although many business websites do not lend much credence to the About Us page, it is one of the most important aspects of doing business. It is always advisable to include a link to a clearly wriBen About Us page on the website. Believe it or not, a majority of customers visit this sec;on before making a purchase. This page reassures the customers condence in your company and in your website.

24. Home: Always have the Home buBon on all pages. The home page contains some of the most relevant informa;on and customers tend to refer to it ojen.

25. Links: Try shortening your links and using ac;on verbs in them. Test to see what kind of eect this would have in terms of clicks.

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Policies

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Policies are for your protec;on and sta;ng them clearly and transparently helps make your posi;on crystal-clear to your customer, while lebng them know exactly where they stand.

26. Return Policy: Be as transparent as possible and always dene your return policy at mul;ple touch points in the checkout process.

27. Money-back: If you have a money-back guarantee in place, make sure to promote it and clearly state the terms and condi;ons that apply.

28. Manufacturer Warranty: If you are selling products that are covered under a manufacturers warranty, make sure to state the policy and give out relevant geographical informa;on for the manufacturer on the order form.

29. Copyright: It is important to have a current and up-to-date copyright statement page on your website. Update your copyright statements every year so your visitors know that the site is being updated and monitored on a regular basis.

30. Privacy: Ensuring the privacy of your customers and protec;ng the informa;on they submit is especially important. Create a clearly wriBen privacy policy to convince your visitors that their privacy is protected.

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Checkout

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Checkout is the most important aspect of any transac;onal website and paying aBen;on to the details can help you build a reputable and sustainable business.

31. Checkout: This is one of the most important aspects of any transac;onal website. The

checkout process itself should be as simple, usable, intui;ve and reassuring as possible. The conversion (and sale) can be made or lost here and losing someone at this point in the process would be a cri;cal loss.

32. Repe//on: Dont ask customers for repe;;ve informa;on. Once you have asked for the

name, address or email, make sure that it appears across the session for that customer. If a customer needs to type the details again, they may nd it cumbersome and simply abandon the process.

33. Informa/on Copying: If the same informa;on is required twice in the checkout process,

make sure that it can be copied instead of requiring someone to it again. For example, if a customer has the same billing address and the shipping address, have an op;on to use the same informa;on.

34. Distrac/ons: In the checkout process, it is important to remove any distrac;ons so the

customer can focus exclusively on comple;ng their transac;on. The naviga;on menu and any moving graphics should be avoided in this area.

35. Step Indicator: Always make sure that the checkout process is indicated in steps to the

customer. If the checkout process has 3 steps, indicate what step they are and how many steps there are in total to complete the process.

36. Informa/on: Clearly iden;fy what informa;on is required in your checkout process to

avoid future confusions and delays.

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37. Error Messages: In the event that you are using error messaging, make them friendly and

easy to understand. No INCORRECT USER INPUT IN PHONE FIELD! messages. Instead, try "Please enter your telephone number."

38. Error Areas: In case the checkout error messages occurs on a page other than the page

with the errors, preserve the informa;on that the user has already inpuBed instead of asking them to enter it again.

39. Pricing: Make sure that you clearly display your prices and shipping charges and tax

BEFORE the checkout process is completed.

40. Confusion: Do not display complex formulas for shipping prices that will confuse the client.

Just calculate the price and show it to them in a deni;ve manner, even if its just a close es;mate.

41. Free Shipping: Consider making shipping free, if your business can aord it. You conversion

will improve remarkably if you are able to oer this advantage.

42. Simple: Always keep the checkout process simple with as few clicks as possible. The more

pages you add between the sales page and checkout, the more risky your sales process becomes.

43. Stock: Display the stock status of your items and do so BEFORE the user puts the item in

their cart. This is to make sure that the user does not make it all the way to the end of the process, only to nd out that the order cannot be fullled.

44. Products: If you have products that you do not sell anymore on your site, remove them.

This can be demo;va;ng for users who are interested in the products that you dont sell.

45. Rearm: Always restate the oer and guarantee/warranty on the order forms. Shopping

cart abandonment is always an issue. Do your best to curb this by displaying the oer again on the order form.

46. Delivery Time: Always es;mate the delivery ;me and make sure you convey this to the

customer. It is always useful if you add a margin to the delivery ;me. It is beBer to deliver before the ;me than to deliver ajerwards.

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47. Delivery Method: make sure to men;on the delivery methods available and provide a

reference number and tracking informa;on for followups.

48. Payment Methods: Since the Internet is a global marketplace, it is important to make sure

that you have as many payment methods available as possible. Make sure that you display all of these methods clearly in the checkout process.

49. Payment Flexibility: Oer dierent payment op;ons such as three payments or even a "try

before you buy" oer (have them pay shipping upfront and the rest in 30 days). Innova;on is the name of the game.

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Site Requirements
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Your website is your face to the online world and it reects on your professionalism and commitment to the business. The beBer this impact is, the beBer is your conversion rate.

50. Qualied Trac: Trac can be relevant or irrelevant. Make sure that you adver;se in a smart way to aBract the right trac -- trac that is interested in your product or service and trac that has the resources to buy. For example, if you are selling Mac sojware, dont adver;se that you sell Windows sojware (or just sojware) just to get more trac. This will drive more visitors (at a greater expense) with no intent to purchase and decrease your conversion rate.

51. Relevance: Adver;se every product or service you have by using keyword rich ar;cles. This will help your website rise on search engine results and can give you tons of targeted trac.

52. Provide Clear Images of your Products: Seeing is believing, so always make sure your product photographs are clear and detailed. The beBer the photographs, the beBer your conversion rate.

53. Make Sure That the Site is Error-Free: All content must be clean and accurate. Always run a spell-check on your site whenever you change content. There arent many things more unprofessional than spelling errors and even if they are "no big deal," they will harm your site's credibility.

54. Reviews: Reviews can be a great way to aBract new users and also increase conversion. Gebng a few good reviews from shopping authority sites like shopping.com, epinions.com and bizrate.com can be a real asset to your conversion rates.

55. Load Times: Find out what the load ;me of your site is and what steps you can take to reduce it. Gone are the days of dial-up. The faster, the beBer.

56. KISS: As the saying goes, "Keep it simple, stupid." Never try to force people to install any crazy plug-ins just to make a purchase from your site. S;ck with Flash (if you must), JavaScript, and the other standards that are normally available to any Internet user.

57. Look and Feel: The overall look and feel of the website should be professional and trustworthy. Research suggests that up to 50% of all lost sales are due to design.

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58. Size: The length of Web page is an important factor. If the content is long and drawn-out, consumers may get bored and will not stay around long enough to complete a transac;on.

59. Graphics: Eye-soothing graphics always look the most professional. Avoid using gaudy colors on the website and don't include images that don't help to tell your story.

60. Download Icons: Add icons of le types next to links that lead to PDF, DOC, etc.

61. Fonts: Fonts on the website should be easy to read and should not be too small or too big.

62. Extra Informa/on: If you have any extra informa;on to oer that you think will be useful to the users but that doesn't aect the transac;on process, do not cluBer the site by pubng it in a prominent spot. Instead, include it separately with a link or as a download in PDF format and clearly indicate why it would be useful.

63. Headline: The headline on your website is the rst thing that a visitor reads. It should be compelling and interest consumers to con;nue further into the website.

64. Copywri/ng: Copywri;ng is an art and it sells more than any visuals. Visuals only aBract. It is important to become a student of copywri;ng and persuasion or to hire someone that is. It is a part of everything you do in your online business -- from wri;ng PPC ads to drajing product descrip;ons.

65. Bullets: Use bullet points in your copy wherever possible to describe product or service benets. Very few people read online product descrip;ons. Instead, they skim them. Use bullets, sub-heads, short descrip;ons and graphics to tell your store and keep your audience engaged.

66. Test Run: Before the big launch, have a poten;al customer or even a group of them go through the site for you. Are there any parts youve missed? How can you beBer explain it? Is there anything they dont understand? Address the ques;ons and make sure it's perfect before you "go live."

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67. Regular Tes/monials: Keep adding regular tes;monials. This tells visitors that the business is consistent and ongoing. The more relevant those tes;monials are to your target audience, the beBer they are. Your visitors want to see tes;monial from people just like them.

68. Check your Text: Test headlines, intro paragraphs, pricing, and other content. You can always rene text to make liBle improvements along the way. The eects that even small changes can have on conversion rates may surprise you.

69. Highlight the USP/UVP: Make sure the unique selling or value posi;on of your oer is easily found on all pages of your website. Why should someone buy from you instead of every other op;on out there? Thats the ques;on your USP or UVP must answer.

70. Link the Shopping Cart: Always link the shopping cart to every product page and have a checkout beside it. This will encourage the client to proceed with the transac;on and minimize the steps to complete an order.

71. Tell a Story: Find a sales hook in a story about the business owner, product, or service youre oering. The easiest way to grab and hold your visitors aBen;on is through a true- life story.

72. Exclusivity: As in tradi;onal adver;sing, exclusivity maBers. If you are the only seller of medium-sized green widgets in the country, state it and be proud of it. Make sure it appears prominently on the website.

73. Search: If you are selling mul;ple products and services, make sure that you have a site search feature and it works perfectly. Not only will this allow users to nd what they want, it will give you insight as to what they are shopping for and what terminology they are using so you can tailor your copy and naviga;on accordingly.

74. Focus on the Benets: Dont just focus on the features of your product, but rather on the benets those features provide to your customers. Dont just say We have folding green widgets;" instead, say Our folding green widgets will save you valuable space in your garage."

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75. First-Time Visitor: It is very important to make a rst-;me visitor page and let your regulars skip straight to your product catalog or whatever sec;on is most interes;ng to them. The rst-;me visitor page is your opportunity to explain why youre dierent from your compe;tors and why they should shop with you.

76. Registering: Although list building is an important aspect of online businesses, always have op;ons for the customer to purchase from your website without registering on it. This simplies maBers a lot for consumers and will help your conversion rates soar. You can always communicate with the customer later to encourage them to register, since you will have their email (make sure you also have their permission).

77. Language: Make the site highly interac;ve. Use ac;ve verbs in your headlines whenever possible. For example, dont just have a link that says privacy policy," but rather read the privacy policy."

78. Internal Linking: This is one of the most important aspects of a website. Logical and context-sensi;ve linking can help customers navigate easily and improve your conversion rates.

79. Broken Links: Make sure that your website does not have any broken links. When a customer encounters one, it comes across as highly unprofessional and harms your trust. It also bad for search engines indexing.

80. Be Direct: Dont use clever names for your shopping cart and other features, like wicker basket or widget box." This will only confuse your customers.

81. Empty Cart: Provide shopping instruc;ons in an empty cart. Dont just say Your cart is empty." Pubng a posi;ve spin on things will help set the tone for your site.

82. Page Loading: Periodically check your page load speed. On long sales copy sites, you may want to break up your tables with one table up top with a page or so of your text, and the rest in a second table. The top table will load rst and the visitor can start reading it.

83. Persuasive Copy: Avoid complex and sales-y phrases and stay away from jargon. Find that voice and use it consistently throughout your site.

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84. Content: Test using things like open-ended ques;ons and measure the impact it has on your engagement and conversion rates.

85. Collect Opt-in Email Leads and Follow-up. This one should be no surprise to you if you regularly follow Internet marke;ng techniques. This process is vital to increasing your conversion rates. At a minimum, collect your customers' email address. If possible, get their physical address and phone number for an even higher response.

86. NewsleXers and Oers: Make sure that you are in touch with your customers constantly on a weekly or a biweekly basis. This will make sure that you are in your customers' mind (and maybe inbox), when they are ready to buy again.

87. Trust and Credibility: The golden rule is that trust and credibility sell and this can only come by ins;lling condence in the customers who are interested in making a purchase.

88. Use Audio if Possible: Add audio to your website, in the form of an introduc;on, recorded teleconference call, or interview. This helps your visitors to feel like they know you beBer, which leads to more transac;ons. Make sure the audio does not play automa;cally. Instead, make it clear that the visitor must click to listen.

89. Use Exhibi/on Videos: Use videos to demonstrate the use of your product. Well-made video demos of the product will ojen improve response and conversion rates. Be advised, though, poorly quality videos can harm your credibility, so dont throw one out there just for the sake of having one.

90. Blog/Forum: Have a blog and a forum on your website and encourage customers to post on it from ;me to ;me. This will help customer interac;on and will help you to address their problems beBer.

91. Calls-to-Ac/on: Test their wording, shapes, colors, and loca;ons throughout your site.

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Product Presentation & Special Offers

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Many people shopping online are looking for discounts and special oers and it can be one of the best methods of increasing your trac and conversion rates. The beBer your oers, the beBer your sales.

92. Mul/ple Product Lines: If your website oers a lot of products, allows users to sort them by important criteria price, size, color, etc. This helps organize the informa;on and gives customers the tools they need to make their buying decisions.

93. Comparison: Always provide a way for customers to compare details of similar items. This will help them make an informed decision.

94. Choices: Dont make the user specify a choice when there aren't really any to be made. If a product only comes in blue, dont make them select the blue radio buBon or choose blue from the dropdown.

95. Discounts: Always provide a dierent sale or clearance sec;on to aBract budget- minded shoppers. This helps drive your conversion rates higher on products that may not be selling otherwise.

96. Oers: Always have two oers - basic and deluxe op;ons. While this may or may not increase your conversion, it will increase your income per visitor. Some will choose the basic. The ones who choose the deluxe boost your prots.

97. Prove: Always prove your claims about any product or service. Your visitors dont believe you just because you say it. Give them facts, samples, videos, and demos. Show checks, charts, endorsements, etc. If you cant back it up, they dont believe it.

98. Authen/city: Make sure that all material you post on your website is authen;c and not misleading in any manner whatsoever. Use disclaimers to explain complicated issues.

99. Oer Outstanding Guarantees. Many companies oer full money-back guarantees. You can oer double your money back guarantees, keep all the bonuses guarantees, etc. Oer a guarantee thats unusual or dierent and the conversions will skyrocket.

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 Conclusion
Improving conversion rates both an art and science. Tes;ng and applying these ;ps can denitely help improve your site, make your visitors happier and drive conversion rates higher. The underlying principle is to present your products in a clear and professional manner and make the transac;on process as smooth as possible for your consumers.

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About Convert.com
Convert.com is the leading A/B & Mul;variate tes;ng sojware for retailers and agencies. Its agship product, Convert Experiments, is a one-code installa;on solu;on that provides risk-free tes;ng of large groups of landing pages through deep integra;ons with major eCommerce plagorms and analy;cs tools. The solu;on allows for full control over every aspect of a test with features such as minimum and maximum test dura;ons, manual and automa;c varia;on controls, as well as historical insights into stoppage of test varia;ons. Agency-friendly features include mul;-domain tes;ng and tracking, development tools for jQuery, JavaScript and CSS, as well as white labeled repor;ng. Convert.com is headquartered in Walnut, CA with development oces in Quintana Roo, Mexico. More informa;on is available at hBp://www.convert.com

340 South Lemon Avenue #9512 WALNUT, CA 91789, UNITED STATES Copyright 2009-2012, Convert Insights, Inc.

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